The first name Rebecca
A girl’s name from Hebrew meaning “enchantingly beautiful”, “captivating”, “snare”.
Pronounced /ɹɪˈbɛkə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Rebecca means “enchantingly beautiful”, “captivating”, “snare” in Hebrew.
The Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”).
More names that mean beauty.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 98 girls were named Rebecca, making it the 413th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 5,828 births (#8).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rebecca with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Rebecca at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 872 girls born in the United States were named Rebecca, the 350th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1981, when 16,737 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Rebecca in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Rebecca in Danish and Italian too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Rebecca
158 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Rebecca RomijnAmerican actress and model (born 1972)
- Rebecca WestBritish writer, journalist, literary critic, and feminist (1892-1983)
- Rebecca HallEnglish actress and filmmaker (born 1982)
- Rebecca BlackAmerican singer (born 1997)
- Rebecca De MornayAmerican actress, born 1959
- Rebecca WalkerAmerican writer, born 1969
- Rebecca MaderEnglish actress, born 1977
- Rebecca SchaefferActress (1967-1989)
- Rebecca SoniAmerican swimmer, born 1987
- Rebecca SolnitAmerican writer, born 1961
- Rebecca Latimer FeltonAmerican politician (1835-1930)
- Rebecca ShoichetCanadian musical performer, singer and voice actress, born 1975
More Hebrew girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Rebecca mean?
- Rebecca means “enchantingly beautiful”, “captivating”, “snare” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Rebecca?
- The Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”).
- How popular is the name Rebecca?
- In 2025, 98 girls born in England and Wales were named Rebecca, ranking 413th. Its peak was 1996, with 5,828 births.
- What are nicknames for Rebecca?
- Common nicknames for Rebecca include Becky, Becca, Becki, Becks, Becka, Bex.
- Is Rebecca a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 758,106 US babies named Rebecca since 1880 were girls.
- When was Rebecca most popular?
- 1981 in the United States, when 16,737 babies were named Rebecca, its highest rank at 12th.
- How do you pronounce Rebecca?
- Rebecca is /ɹɪˈbɛkə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Rebecca?
- Rebeccah, Rebekah, Rebekka and Beki.